Few, if any NFL fans could have predicted that the New England Patriots would have a better record than both the Baltimore Ravens (1-4) and the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) entering Week 6.

The Patriots (3-2) aren’t the only surprise in the league this fall, as both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts shockingly sit atop the AFC South at 4-1.

Austin Mock of The Athletic looked at each of the aforementioned squads as the “3 surprise teams” that have “emerged to fill contender void in AFC” on Thursday.

Mock said that with head coach Mike Vrabel at the helm...

The Patriots need help at running back with Antonio Gibson out for the season due to a torn ACL. They could sign a no-name back off the scrap heap, land a notable free agent (Ezekiel Elliott, anyone?) or target someone in a trade.

Or they could make do with what they have. In fact, at this point, that seems to be Plan A.

Throughout Wednesday’s media availability, it became clear that New England is treating practice squad running back Terrell Jennings as the primary Gibson replacement — for now, anyway.

“I think he’s a great teammate,” head coach Mike Vrabel...

Bill Belichick and the University of North Carolina posted a joint statement on Wednesday night amid reports questioning the head coach’s future with the college football program.

The legendary New England Patriots head coach has endured a bumpy transition in his new job, leading the Tar Heels to a 2-3 start with three blowout losses against Power Four opponents. Speculation of an early split spread after last Saturday’s 38-10 loss to Clemson.

The school addressed the rumors with brief statements from Belichick and UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham.

“I’m fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here,”...

New England Patriots star receiver Stefon Diggs sent a warning to the team ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

Diggs and the Patriots are coming off a 23-20 thrilling win over division rival Buffalo Bills in Week 5 on the road. Heading into Week 6, New England is a 3.5-point favorite on the road against the Saints.

Although the Bills are a better team than the Saints, Diggs isn’t so sure, as he believes New Orleans could be a bigger test than Buffalo.

“Super important we turn the page, considering the New Orleans Saints is...

TEAM TALK

• Patriots-Saints initial Injury Report.
• Evan Lazar’s Patriots Gameplan: 3 Keys to Victory in Sunday’s Week 6 Matchup vs. the Saints in New Orleans. “To really turn the corner as a football team, the Patriots can’t let their guard down in NOLA.”
• Broadcast Info: How to watch/listen to Patriots at Saints.
• Transcript: Mike Vrabel (Plus 13 min. video)
• Press Conferences: Drake Maye – Stefon Diggs, Christian Gonzalez, Jaylinn Hawkins, and Terrell Jennings.
• Highlights: Patriots equipment staff packs pants trunk for Sunday’s Saints game. (1 min. video)
• Patriots Unfiltered: Saints preview, Vrabel presser...

By last Sunday night, only one unbeaten team had remained in the NFL: the Buffalo Bills, a serious Super Bowl contender that saw top tier performances from both their offense and defense en route to a 4-0 start. And yet, despite their record and status as 8.5-point home favorites, they saw their perfect season go up in flames in front of a national audience.

After four straight losses at Highmark Stadium, the New England Patriots were able to celebrate a 23-20 win. Considering the environment and quality of opponent, that was a major achievement for the team of head coach...

Entering their sixth game of the season, the New England Patriots are already quite battle-tested on the road. Their two away games so far saw them take on, and beat, the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills in two of the toughest stadiums in the NFL.

Now, they are going to take their act to New Orleans. In order to also leave the Superdome victoriously, the Patriots know they have to be ready for another less-than-welcoming crowd.

“We’ll have to make sure that we’re doing everything that we possibly can to prepare to go on and handle another tough environment,” said...

Playing in front of a primetime audience for the first time in his career, the New England Patriots’ 23-20 upset win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night was a coming-out party for quarterback Drake Maye. While the numbers may not show it — 22-for-30 for 273 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions — the second-year passer made some standout plays and looked every part the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be.

Did he also look like a top-10 quarterback in the NFL right now? So far this season, there is a case he just might be. He is...

The New England Patriots turned the page to the New Orleans Saints with three official non-participants.

Defensive end Keion White and safety Jaylinn Hawkins stayed sidelined during Wednesday’s practice inside the WIN Waste Innovations Field House. And while unlisted, the same would also be true for running back Antonio Gibson as a move to injured reserve looms following a torn ACL.

Here’s the first injury report leading up to Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at the Caesars Superdome.

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

Patriots

• RB Antonio Gibson (knee)
• DE Keion White (elbow)
• S Jaylinn Hawkins (hamstring)

###...

New England Patriots defensive end/linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson missed the team’s Week 5 “Sunday Night Football” upset over the Buffalo Bills due to a knee injury.

The LSU product returned to practice on Wednesday, however, four days ahead of the group’s Week 6 contest vs. the New Orleans Saints.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss provided an update on both Chaisson and defensive end Keion White.

“DE Keion White, who had a sleeve over his right elbow, worked to the side on conditioning during media-access portion of Patriots practice. White didn’t finish Sunday’s game due to injury,” Reiss posted on Bluesky. “Meanwhile, DE K’Lavon...

Following Antonio Gibson’s season-ending knee injury, the veteran had a simple message for second-year running back Terrell Jennings: It’s your time.

With Gibson sidelined after suffering a torn ACL Sunday night in Buffalo, the Patriots are now left with just Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson on the active roster. That could thrust Jennings, who has spent the start of the season on the practice squad, into an elevated role.

“Me and Antonio is actually really close. That’s my locker buddy, as well. I took that hard,” Jennings said of Gibson’s message. “That’s my brother, I’m with him everyday. To...

Coming off one of their most impressive win of the 2020s, the New England Patriots cannot rest on their laurels. Week 6, after all, presents them with a second straight road trip. And while their opponent is, on paper, very much beatable, the New Orleans Saints have all the makings to turn this into a trap game.

So, without further ado, let’s get to know them.

Saints key stats

The Saints are heading into this week’s game having won just one of their first five games of the season. Their statistics are a reflection of their lack of success...